7/27/2007 @ 12:01AM

Most Spacious Seats In The Sky

Catching some sleep while flying to a conference halfway around the world can be tricky. Unless, that is, you know the right airline to book, replete with a seat that transforms into a luxurious bed.

Luckily, as airlines continue to compete for passengers who can’t afford a day of jet lag, the number of carriers offering this service is growing.

Just this week United Airlines announced changes to its international business-class airline seats. Revamped seats will recline to a 180-degree, 6-foot, 4-inch bed. The new “lie-flat” seats will be available in planes as early as this fall, making it the first domestic airline to take the leap.

“It’s pretty clear in the market.” says Matthew Daimler, founder of SeatGuru.com, which helps travelers find the best seats on their flights. “True international business class is going to include [a bed].”

Of course, international airlines have been offering comfortable in-flight sleeping options for years. Since
British Airways
introduced business-class flat-bed seats in 2000, several airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific, took off with their own business-class lie-flat and flat-bed seats. (Lie-flat seats recline to 180 degrees, while flat-bed seats often convert into a bed by joining the seat to a detached ottoman.)

But their perks now go well beyond a good night’s sleep. Virgin Atlantic Airways’ Upper Class now offers complimentary ground transportation to and from airports in 26 international cities, in-flight manicures and access to airport “clubhouses” where travelers can work, dine or get a haircut.

Domestic carriers began stepping up their game in 2006, when
American Airlines
first offered business-class seats that can fully recline but remain at a slight angle to conserve space. In January 2007, Delta also unveiled plans for lie-flat seats in its BusinessElite cabin. The seats, however, won’t be available until 2008.

That puts United ahead of the domestic competition for the time being. Each of the airline’s business-class seats will offer video on-demand on a 15.4-inch television, iPod-playing capability through an in-flight entertainment system, a USB port and power outlet, and noise-canceling headphones.

“We knew what customers were telling us, so we decided to make this investment,” says Jeff Fowland, senior vice president of sales for United Airlines.

But Daimler predicts United’s leg-up will be brief.

“In three or four years, you’ll see another carrier come out with new seats to usurp United,” he says. “It’s a little cyclical.”